Simatai Great Wall, Beijing

Simatai Great Wall is an indispensable section of the Great Wall.  Lying in Gubeikou Water Town northeast of Miyun County about 120 kilometers from Beijing, Simatai Great Wall stretches 5.4 kilometers long with 35 watchtowers from Wangjing Tower in the east and connects to Houchuankou in the west. As the east section of the Gubeikou defense line, this magnificent section features great strategic significance. Built hundreds of years ago, the Simatai Great Wall still retains all its original appearance. It not only incorporates a variety of styles of other parts of the 10, 000-li-long wall, but also displays some unique characteristics. This section of the Great Wall is often described as perilous, dense, diverse, ingenuous, and peculiar.

Simatai Great Wall Bird View in Winter Snow

Simatai Great Wall is separated into eastern and western parts by a valley, with a rainbow-like chain bridge over the valley. The hills in the west are sloping gently, with 20 watchtowers well remained. The jade kylin embossment on the General Tower is showing its originality and vividness. The Great Wall is winding on the hills like a golden dragon with majestic vigor. The eastern part of Great Wall, with 15 watchtowers densely covering the peaks thousand meters high, looks even more fantastic. On the marvelous Fairy Tower, there are white marble arches carved with lotuses, telling wonderful tales. The Heaven Bridge is following the Fairy Tower, which is shorter than 100 meters and narrower than 1 brick, and with cliffs along both sides. Those succeeding in passing the Bridge will be awarded Wall Heroes. On the very peak, connected with the Heaven Bridge, is Capital-Watching Tower, titled the Utmost Cultural Peak of Beijing, with a height of 986 meters above sea level. Walk up and enter the Tower, we may enjoy the white snow of Wuling Mountain to the east, the grand Great Wall to the west, the romance to the north, and capital lamplight to the south. All the outstanding sights will make us feel relaxed and happy.

Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town in beautiful Autumn

Deep in the valley, there’re two springs called Mandarin Duck Springs. The east one is cold, while the west is warm. The two springs join into one lake, half cold and the other half warm. Traveling with a small boat on the lake, scanning widely, we may find the mysterious charm of the Great Wall. Simatai Great Wall is quite different with other parts of Great Wall in its fantastic sight seeing and precipitous topography, with interleaving fight walls and defense walls, sky bridge of all sizes, and the wording bricks with both Yinwen and Yangwen, etc.

With its fantastic scenery and precipitous topography, the Simatai Great Wall is a remarkable place for sightseeing, hiking and exploration.

Opening Hours: 8:00-17:00, night hiking also opened from 2023.

Simatai Great Wall may be closed temporarily in winter, especially in snow days.

Entrance Fee: CNY40

If you would like a visit of a more original, primitive Great Wall, Simatai Great Wall may be your best choice.

Recommended Tours:

1 Day Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town Private Tour, from $77

Simatai Great Wall

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1. Take cable car up, hike up to No.5 tower, go down to No.2 tower, go back to cable car point, take cable car down.
2. Hike from hill bottom to No.2 tower, continue hike to No.5 tower, then walk to cable car point, take cable car down.
3. Night hiking: take cable car up, hike up to No.5 tower, enjoy nightview of Simatai great wall, finally walk back to cable car point, take cable car down.

For Gubei Water Town information, click here.